Analyzing why Xbox's E3 is such an abysmal, boring show every single year

[Bryank75]

I think that whole "#1 publisher" nonsense should be disallowed on this board. It's a crutch, and it's meaningless.

I played all of those games, and, sorry but Flight Sim, Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 are just not great games. And Psychonauts 2 was extremely average, and also was not a home grown MS game anyway. Both Sony and Nintendo put out WAY better games last year, because .... I actually played them. You know, instead of looking at some silly "award" that no one ever cared about beforehand.

By the way, to address the thread in general. It's because MS doesn't understand gaming. They understand numbers and spreadsheets and trying to get people to sign up for software subscriptions. Phil Spencer and co. obviously don't have a clue about the craftsmanship of games that can reach level where some people consider them "art." Both Sony and Nintendo have people throughout the executive leadership that love games. They understand them. How many times has Spencer said they have the "best Xbox lineup in history" only for it to be a total dud? It's because he literally has no comprehension about what's good or bad. Why else would he be proud of the releases they have so far, when they are actually a complete embarrassment?

Easy answer to the question.

Just want to interject here!

I'm a PS guy as you all know but Xbox definitely did have games last year, as the record shows..... it's up to Xbox fans to decide if they liked those games, as that is down to individual taste.

But I agree in theory with @DynamiteCop that last year was way better than this year, even if to you and me as PS users, that doesn't mean much.

(The Xbox guys are outnumbered here, so lets be understanding to some point)

 

[Cragarmi]

Just want to interject here!

I'm a PS guy as you all know but Xbox definitely did have games last year, as the record shows..... it's up to Xbox fans to decide if they liked those games, as that is down to individual taste.

But I agree in theory with @DynamiteCop that last year was way better than this year, even if to you and me as PS users, that doesn't mean much.

(The Xbox guys are outnumbered here, so lets be understanding to some point)

I think the problem is that several of last year's MS games released on PS as well as Xbox, such as Psychonauts 2, and in Deathloop's case, still not released on MS' Xbox platform, making their releases appear smaller.

 

[Bryank75]

I think the problem is that several of last year's MS games released on PS as well as Xbox, such as Psychonauts 2, and in Deathloop's case, still not released on MS' Xbox platform, making their releases appear smaller.

Yeah absolutely, it's a weird situation with the way the industry is now.

My main aim is to keep the debate respectful and mature. Which it has been so far....

 

[Swift_Star]

To me is simply because of the over focus on fps. I think Xbox, I think fps. I don’t understand why MS thinks they have to market every single MP FPS there is.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

By the way, to address the thread in general. It's because MS doesn't understand gaming. They understand numbers and spreadsheets and trying to get people to sign up for software subscriptions. Phil Spencer and co. obviously don't have a clue about the craftsmanship of games that can reach level where some people consider them "art." Both Sony and Nintendo have people throughout the executive leadership that love games. They understand them. How many times has Spencer said they have the "best Xbox lineup in history" only for it to be a total dud? It's because he literally has no comprehension about what's good or bad. Why else would he be proud of the releases they have so far, when they are actually a complete embarrassment?

Age of Empires 4 is not on Xbox, Flight Sim was a port from 2020 (nobody is playing that on console anyway). Psychonauts 2 was a kickstarter game 4 years in the making before MS bought them. Their only contribution was the boss fights and they were the most annoying thing about the game. The award was totally meaningless I agree.

I think @DynamiteCop is just so used to repeat whatever all the Xbox fans are saying. Hopefully he will get his own personality here

That comment was more like and hypothetical if the thread was made at other places.

I recognize your username and yes this thread would 100% be locked and deleted. They should change their name to XboxCentral

 

[Bodycount611]

Forgot to add that, another great point. Showing games ONLY ON PC.

ABSOLUTELY INSULTING. I honestly can't believe that kind of crap was greenlit or even thought of anywhere close to acceptable. that's such a slap in the face to Xbox console owners.

 

[Bryank75]

Forgot to add that, another great point. Showing games ONLY ON PC.

ABSOLUTELY INSULTING. I honestly can't believe that kind of crap was greenlit or even thought of anywhere close to acceptable. that's such a slap in the face to Xbox console owners.

It's something I hope we don't see Sony do as they get more and more involved in PC gaming....

Really don't like the direction Jim Ryan is heading in..... I feel like console is suffering because of it and the traditional PS audience.

Would be easy for them to do it now that Xbox has set the standard.

 

[Bodycount611]

It's something I hope we don't see Sony do as they get more and more involved in PC gaming....

Really don't like the direction Jim Ryan is heading in..... I feel like console is suffering because of it and the traditional PS audience.

Would be easy for them to do it now that Xbox has set the standard.

it's worrying but if the spiderman announcement is anything to go by, Sony seems to know no one wants to see this nonsense.

That's why the Spiderman PC announcement was the whole of 10 seconds. They also did the same with Uncharted. they kind of just hide these things in-between other, more interesting announcements.

There is no reason to spend a single second on PC ports in these shows. If they absolutely have to happen, then hide them in blog posts or twitter.

PC gamers, man... what entitled, loudmouth port beggars these guys have become over the years. Just an absolutely insufferable plague on this hobby, IMO.

 

[Swift_Star]

it's worrying but if the spiderman announcement is anything to go by, Sony seems to know no one wants to see this nonsense.

That's why the Spiderman PC announcement was the whole of 10 seconds. They also did the same with Uncharted. they kind of just hide these things in-between other, more interesting announcements.

There is no reason to spend a single second on PC ports in these shows. If they absolutely have to happen, then hide them in blog posts or twitter.

PC gamers, man... what entitled, loudmouth port beggars these guys have become over the years. Just an absolutely insufferable plague on this hobby, IMO.

I feel like pc gamers sour every game discussion specially because they’re always so smug about their rigs. I mean, who cares? The games are still the same regardless.

 

[arvfab]

Haven't read the whole thread, so sorry for maybe repeating stuff already said. Also, everything is just my opinion and reflecting my gaming taste.

As I see it, hours long E3 style shows in general are not interesting anymore for different reasons. Nintendo and Sony understood it a while ago, MS will soon too.

"Gamers" today already have very short attention spans, for MS shows it doesn't help that they have so much GP filler trash, just for the sake of having "2 hours/XX GP day 1 games" worth of announcements. It also doesn't help that they lose a few seconds everytime to announce that a game is day 1 on GP.

This year they tried to avoid the backlash of showing CGI and games too far away from release, resulting in barely anything 1st party to show.

They are in the business for over 2 decades, yet they barely have any game legacy. Sure they have their holy trinity of Halo-Gears-Forza, but only the last one seems to be really relevant anymore (talking about consoles, I know that on PC it is a tiny bit more). Maybe with Fable and Perfect Dark (this one not really "their" legacy...) they could revive something from the past, but their track record simply is not good. Is there any other "dormant" IP they could excite fans with? Kameo? Viva Piñata?
I also can't remember the last time MS introduced a new interesting IP.

With Bethesda and later Activision things might change, but it's still not stuff they built themselves.

 

[Bodycount611]

I feel like pc gamers sour every game discussion specially because they’re always so smug about their rigs. I mean, who cares? The games are still the same regardless.

they're shitposting mostly, they're always there to start a 'PC Performance thread' for their console leftovers to disguise their trolling too, and it always goes unpunished. Just a colossal waste of energy and forum bandwidth wherever they go.

always call these people out. they deserve it.

And always push back on PC ports and this anti-exclusive nonsense that's popping up. Every single console, and console customer deserves exclusive experiences on their box. If you dislike exclusives you're a doormat, and a loser. bu bu gatekeeping...

lol

 

[Sircaw]

I think that whole "#1 publisher" nonsense should be disallowed on this board. It's a crutch, and it's meaningless.

I played all of those games, and, sorry but Flight Sim, Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 are just not great games. And Psychonauts 2 was extremely average, and also was not a home grown MS game anyway. Both Sony and Nintendo put out WAY better games last year, because .... I actually played them. You know, instead of looking at some silly "award" that no one ever cared about beforehand.

By the way, to address the thread in general. It's because MS doesn't understand gaming. They understand numbers and spreadsheets and trying to get people to sign up for software subscriptions. Phil Spencer and co. obviously don't have a clue about the craftsmanship of games that can reach level where some people consider them "art." Both Sony and Nintendo have people throughout the executive leadership that love games. They understand them. How many times has Spencer said they have the "best Xbox lineup in history" only for it to be a total dud? It's because he literally has no comprehension about what's good or bad. Why else would he be proud of the releases they have so far, when they are actually a complete embarrassment?

Easy answer to the question.

I think there is a lot of truth to this.

 

[Sircaw]

they're shitposting mostly, they're always there to start a 'PC Performance thread' for their console leftovers to disguise their trolling too, and it always goes unpunished. Just a colossal waste of energy and forum bandwidth wherever they go.

always call these people out. they deserve it.

And always push back on PC ports and this anti-exclusive nonsense that's popping up. Every single console, and console customer deserves exclusive experiences on their box. If you dislike exclusives you're a doormat, and a loser. bu bu gatekeeping...

lol

Do not agree at all here.

As a ps5 user, I wish that Volcano high was exclusive to PC and PC only

 

[Bodycount611]

it is what it is. unless we straight up lie and delude ourselves into listing multiplatform games like psychonauts as some sort of a win for xbox they get upset.

soon they'll be counting FIFA and Madden as wins for Microsoft.

this is quickly becoming the most bizarre, backwards, and downright sad display i've seen in decades of following games. The disparity in quality content between two competing platforms has never been larger.

The mighty 2021 publisher of the year currently has one release ranked in 2022, a console port of a 39-rated F2P Korean PC shooter originally released in 2007.

insane.

 

[Three]

By the way, to address the thread in general. It's because MS doesn't understand gaming. They understand numbers and spreadsheets and trying to get people to sign up for software subscriptions. Phil Spencer and co. obviously don't have a clue about the craftsmanship of games that can reach level where some people consider them "art." Both Sony and Nintendo have people throughout the executive leadership that love games. They understand them. How many times has Spencer said they have the "best Xbox lineup in history" only for it to be a total dud? It's because he literally has no comprehension about what's good or bad. Why else would he be proud of the releases they have so far, when they are actually a complete embarrassment?

Easy answer to the question.

I wouldn't go as far as saying some of those games aren't good. Although I still don't understand how a game like Halo Infinite got good scores considering it was missing half the things past games had (forge, coop). Nostalgia is probably a hell of a drug. AoE4 wasn't great either but that's for another topic.

I somewhat agree with the bolded. MS are not really a creative company that understands entertainment but more a financial/tech driven one akin to tencent. People would just never care to admit it.

It knows tech, how to undercut competitors, who to aquire for revenue, user data and IPs (many of which were aquired and moved to other studios that didn't get why the originals were great).

MS is like a tencent, entertainment/creativity isn't really in their DNA it's more about pumping up this or that number because they are good at numbers and have the money.

 

[Darth Vader]

I think the issue with MS is quite clear. They really fucked up their first-party output. Bad decisions that until this very day are quite visible.

This, nothing to add

 

[arvfab]

I still don't understand how a game like Halo Infinite got good scores

 

[Bodycount611]

fable - still vaporware
Perfect dark - I bet work hasn't even started yet, entire team departed
everwild- rebooted
gears 6 - Still MIA
Halo - Just released, broken, unfinished, 343 plans for it to last 10 years
Forza - Racing games, always easy to make

i'm convinced MS is building games on no budget. they aren't funding the teams, let alone managing them. they've completely stepped away from game development.

look at the crap they have Obsidian building. Phil funded that game with the change between his couch cushions.

 

[Alabtrosmyster]

I think that their E3 shows usually outdoes Sony's, MS has great presenters and they show a lot of games.

MS has a delivery problem, their exclusives rarely live up to the hype (see the reception/sales they get)... They also focus too much in platform services and features, seemingly to the detriment of actual content.

That being said, their situation early in this gen is better than it was last gen, even if they don't even try anymore, so they probably have a point.

Overall MS is pulling the industry in the wrong direction, so their influence is not welcome.

 

[ethomaz]

I think that whole "#1 publisher" nonsense should be disallowed on this board. It's a crutch, and it's meaningless.

I played all of those games, and, sorry but Flight Sim, Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 are just not great games. And Psychonauts 2 was extremely average, and also was not a home grown MS game anyway. Both Sony and Nintendo put out WAY better games last year, because .... I actually played them. You know, instead of looking at some silly "award" that no one ever cared about beforehand.

By the way, to address the thread in general. It's because MS doesn't understand gaming. They understand numbers and spreadsheets and trying to get people to sign up for software subscriptions. Phil Spencer and co. obviously don't have a clue about the craftsmanship of games that can reach level where some people consider them "art." Both Sony and Nintendo have people throughout the executive leadership that love games. They understand them. How many times has Spencer said they have the "best Xbox lineup in history" only for it to be a total dud? It's because he literally has no comprehension about what's good or bad. Why else would he be proud of the releases they have so far, when they are actually a complete embarrassment?

Easy answer to the question.

I think Xbox releases last year was good.
The only exception I can point is Halo Infinite that received good critics due hype and promises and ended average in a matter of few weeks/months… the biggest issue imo is i343 being unable to acknowledge and works to fix things… that is why I believe it is beyond salvation… not because it can’t be a great game but because I don’t believe i343 is able to do it.

Said that Forza Horizon 5 is great, while I don’t like genre Flight Simulator is the top dog in the market, Psychonauts 2 is a great low budget game.